What is open-pit mining:
Open-pit mining (also called open-cast mining or open-cut mining) is a surface mining method used to extract minerals or rocks found near the Earth’s surface. It involves digging a large hole or pit in the ground to remove the desired materials.
How It Works:
Finding the resource: Geologists find areas with valuable minerals (like gold, copper, coal, or iron).
Clearing the land: Trees and plants are removed to prepare the area.
Drilling and blasting: Explosives break up the rock and soil.
Removing material: Huge machines like excavators and dump trucks carry the broken rock to be processed.
Processing: The valuable minerals are separated from the waste rock.
Waste rock: Unwanted materials (called overburden) are piled in nearby dumps.
Advantages of open-pit miniming:
Cheaper than underground mining.
Safer for workers (more open space, less risk of collapse).
Easier to use large equipment.
Can extract more material quickly.
Disadvantages of open-pit mining:
Destroys ecosystems, forests, and topsoil.
Dust and chemicals can spread into the environment.
Leaves large holes/scars on the landscape.
Produces large amounts of waste rock.
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